Insider Report: 3 biggest Raiders 2024 NFL Draft mistakes

In the 2024 NFL Draft, the Raiders selected some talented players, but they were unable to select a quarterback. Who is going to be their future signal caller?

Under head coach Antonio Pierce, the Las Vegas Raiders have ushered in a new era. Before committing Vegas to the Pierce method with a contract this offseason, he served as the team’s temporary head coach for a portion of the 2023 campaign. Dan Campbell, the head coach of the Detroit Lions, and Pierce have comparable appeal. First of all, they are both ex-players who appear to get along well with and be respected by their players. But until the Raiders and Pierce become as popular as the Lions, they still have a ways to go.

One significant obstacle is at quarterback. There are a few alternatives available to the Raiders at the position, but no clear-cut franchise player. Fans were moved by Aidan O’Connell’s courageous efforts in 2023 as Jimmy Garoppolo’s replacement. During his free agency, Gardner Minshew inked a surprisingly large two-year $25 million contract with a $15 million guarantee. The Raiders were left without a first-round rookie quarterback since the 2024 NFL Draft did not turn out as planned.

Without a doubt, the Raiders have a bright future ahead of them. However, as this team develops an identity, supporters will need to exercise patience.

Raiders don’t make an aggressive move for a QB

It’s difficult to find fault with the Raiders’ offseason management of their quarterback position.

A portion of this criticism is on the number of quarterbacks the Raiders passed on throughout the summer and the lack of a clear plan for improving the position going forward. For the sake of argument, let’s overlook the draft: the Raiders were unable to sign Russell Wilson or Justin Fields during the free agency period. Both didn’t require a significant expenditure and were quite simple to obtain. Either QB would have been more affordable than Minshew, and their deal would have allowed for more flexibility.

It would have also been nice to see the Raiders feverishly trying to move up the board after they saw the run on QBs start. That said, Michael Penix Jr. may have been their guy and his surprise pick at eighth overall may have shocked the Raiders as much as it did the rest of us.

The 2025 class doesn’t seem promising right now, but you should never place too much weight in what people are saying about the draft class of the following year in May. Do the Raiders face a shortage of players at the position in the following year’s draft? Or will they succeed just enough to miss out on the draft spot where they would have to select a quarterback the following season? Could they deal for a quarterback, but who? How much would that cost, too?

Still, with quarterback still up in the air, it’s difficult to have high hopes for the Raiders in 2024.

Passing on an elite tackle prospect in the first round

Brock Bowers was selected by the Raiders 13th overall. When he is paired with Michael Mayer, Vegas has a superior tight end duo with complimentary skill sets. It is fairly simple to defend the pick.

Nevertheless, it could have been wiser for the Raiders to select an offensive lineman instead. At 13, Las Vegas could select from among the best offensive lineman still available: Graham Barton, Amarius Mims, Troy Fautanu, and Taliese Fuaga.

A few of these athletes are even versatile enough to play any position on the offensive line and contribute. A possible trade down may have resulted in more resources and yet allowed the Raiders to get an intriguing talent, if they were concerned about reaching on one of these players.

Credit where it’s due — the Raiders selected G/C Jackson Powers-Johnson in the second round of the draft. Not only is he an incredible prospect but the Raiders got him at a solid discount in round two.

The Raiders will enter the 2024 season with Kolton Miller and Thayer Munford Jr. as their starting tackles.

Raiders don’t land a wide receiver in incredibly deep draft class

Yes, Brock Bowers, a wide receiver in essence, was selected by the Raiders in the draft.

It is odd, though, that Vegas did not select a wide receiver with a mid- or late-round pick. Many players in this year’s extremely skilled and deep draft class held out until the very final round of selection.

Putting money down for a future wide receiver and holding onto a backup for a year or two to learn behind Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers would have been a wise move.

After the draft, the Raiders did add Michael Gallup, but he offers veteran depth rather than long-term potential.